Technology Used Or Abused In New Pretty Town By Scott Westerfeld

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, tells the story of a girl named Tally Youngblood who is only several weeks away from having a life-changing surgery completed; the people that undergo the operation have their faces and bodies modified to look conventionally attractive. It’s revealed later in the book--by former members of the “Pretty Committee”--that the surgeons alter the patient’s personality and reasoning as well. At the very beginning of Part, I there read a quote from Yang Yuan, taken from the New York Times; “Is it not good to make society full of beautiful people?” Westerfeld’s story explores the implications of a society where people are socially conditioned and made to think that they are naturally ugly; at the age of 16, they are made “pretty”, as stated earlier.

Amanda Schaut Evans/Bendick ELA ½ 22 February, 2023 In 2021, 60% of young people have been excluded by their peers and as a result changed their physical appearance. This creates the idea that the only way to fit in, is to be good looking. The same is in the book, Uglies, where everyone is expected to get a surgery when they turn 16 to turn ‘pretty’ or perfect. Tally is told that she can’t turn pretty unless she betrays her best friend, Shay, and finds a hidden city full of uglies called the ‘smoke’.

Her mother was once beautiful, but her looks faded with age, which is a reason why she is always after Connie. In the story, her mother, “who noticed everything and knew everything and who hadn’t much reason any longer to look at her own face scolded Connie about it”(25). She would say to Connie, “Stop gawking at yourself. Who are you? You think you’re so pretty?”

The government has control over the citizens by having the ability to determine when the citizens can finally turn pretty. Usually, the general rule is that when an ugly turns 16 they then have plastic surgery and are considered pretty, but the government can extend the wait if they find reasons to withhold being pretty. Once they turn pretty they cross the river and switch towns. Shay and Tally, two new friends, are discussing when they turn pretty, “‘So how long have you got?’ Shay answered instantly.

Within the novel, Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, the main character, Tally Youngblood, has adapted and grown with change over the course of the story in the form of her actions, thoughts, and words. Tally’s growth can be expressed through the theme of accepting oneself. Tally, in the beginning of the novel, is reckless, thinks she is ugly, and talks about herself as a monster. Throughout the complex plot of Uglies, Tally changes dramatically.

In today’s society, technology plays a very important role in its ability to function, it helps people find information, communicate with others far away and provides entertainment. In “Fahrenheit 451”, a book written by Ray Bradbury, a dystopian future where books have been made illegal is presented. In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, raises many questions about technology and its effects on society. It’s quite evident that we have become quite dependent on technology due to our overconsumption of it.

“Come back and we can be friends again when you are pretty,” stated Peris. The second sign of the ruination of friendship includes betrayal. Tally betrays Shay for the operation to become “pretty”. “I turned her in because my mom said if I didn’t I wouldn’t get the operation” said Tally.

“Men have become the tools of their tools.” -Henry David Thoreau, a 19th-century American philosopher, described the paradox of men becoming servants to their slaves. This theme of the very culture and lifestyle of humanity being dominated by their technology is also exemplified in the book, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury in which he describes a dystopia in which technological and political advancements have negatively the culture of that society, an analogy that can be applied today with the large increase in mass media, leading to the downgrade in the insightfulness, usage, and validity of the information we are exposed to on a daily basis. In Fahrenheit 451, Mildred, Montag’s wife, is a foil to Montag in that her total acceptance of society's rules contrast his rejection of them. In multiple instances, she is described as being constantly

In her essay, “I Had a Nice Time with you Tonight, on the app,” Jenna Wortham believes that social media apps are a helpful way to connect. Wortham swears by apps and is grateful that she can communicate with her boyfriend who is three thousand miles away. Yet some may challenge the view that Social Media apps are a reliable and effective method of communicating, Sherry Turkle stresses people are substituting online communication for face-to-face interaction. Although Turkle may only seem of concern to only a small group of people, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the negative effects social media can have on people. In her eyes, nothing can replace person-to-person communication.

It has a huge affect on peoples feelings and Morales. This puts you in a bad position. You have to make a decision to how you will deal with this problem. I recall when I got betrayed by my close friend. We were eating lunch and my friend leaves me so sit with somebody else.

Has technology changed so immensely over the years that it now controls society? What has it done to control society? Over the years, technology has become one of the society's major resources. This relates to the use of technology to control the World State in Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World. In the present day, we aren’t quite advanced enough to create clones or flying cars, but technology has become more of an everyday tool over the course of time.

The twenty-first century is known by many different names: The Common Era, The Era of Technology, The Knowledge Era, etc. Regardless of the diversity in epithets, they all highlight a higher standard of intelligence and common sense that are possessed by the people living in this time. These people are raised to adapt to a technological and innovative lifestyle. Yet, all of the conveniences granted by the Internet and social media are gradually showing “symptoms” of negative effects. As technology becomes more advanced, people have high expectations for it.

The technology consumes humanity and causes us to lose sight of who were before technology. People might be deprived the rights and opportunities to get in touch with the new things. Other common themes include government surveillance, poor living standards, totalitarian regimes, brainwashing, concealing of information, police brutality and status crimes. Although the idea of a utopian society can be brief imagined, this society could not sustain itself due to the unpredictable nature of life.

Nowadays people are drawn to the use of cosmetic surgery, makeup, pills, supplements, and other products to enhance their physical appearance. In general, people spend a lot of money to cover their insecurities by changing their appearance to become “beautiful”. Beauty can be defined differently amongst people since their idea of pleasing is different as well. As described in the Merriam Webster’s dictionary, beauty is the quality of being physically attractive and/or the qualities of a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind. In other words, beauty is what is appealing.

In order to maintain good behavior and relationship, betraying friend should be